New Year, New Benefits: Making the Most of your Dental Benefits in 2018

Hopefully, you took advantage of all your dental benefits in 2017. If not, the new year provides a great opportunity to prioritize your dental health and get the most from your insurance plan. Here’s how you can protect teeth and gums in 2018 without having to spend more than you should.

Understanding Your Plan

Many insurance plans require that people pay minimum deductibles every year before they become eligible for benefits. If you have a plan like this, it’s a good idea to schedule dental work as early in the year as possible. This way, you can meet your deductible as soon as possible and enjoy benefits for any work you may need as the year progresses. On the other hand, if you wait too long, you could end up paying your deductible late in the year only to require additional treatments that push into 2019, when your benefits reset and a brand new deductible is due.

To keep from inadvertently squandering your benefits in this way, it’s best to schedule dental work as early in the year as possible. Ultimately, you want to take advantage of all your available benefits, right up to the maximum cap of your plan. Under ideal circumstances, you won’t need more than a simple checkup and cleaning; however, if you do end up needing fillings, periodontal treatments or root canal therapy, you will be glad you have time to get the treatments before your benefits reset on January 1 of this year.

Even if you don’t have a deductible, you still want to see your dentist as early as possible, so you can maximize your benefits. Consider, for instance, a situation where you put off an exam until late in the year. If your local dentist uncovers a problem, it may take time to schedule treatments that take multiple appointments to perform. If so, you might not be able to get them all done before your maximum benefits reset at the end of the year.

Another Reason for Early Checkups

Although many people regard dental insurance as a sort of safety net to help offset the cost of expensive dental treatments, it can do much more. To maximize your dental plan in 2018, it’s best to schedule a routine examination and cleaning as soon as possible. This will allow you to catch and repair minor dental issues in their infancies. In this way, you can avoid having to pay deductibles for expensive treatments down the line.